Vietnam forms special unit to combat films with illegal "nine-dash" line
Following the incident, public backlash in Vietnam became strong and prompted major streaming platforms such as FPT Play, VieON, K+ and TV360 to swiftly remove the series from their libraries.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has set up a special task force to inspect filming activities on the internet after the Chinese television drama Love’s Ambition (Hay De Toi Toa Sang in Vietnamese) was found to contain an illegal “nine-dash line” map.
In a decision announced today (October 6), Deputy Director of the Vietnam Cinema Department Do Quoc Viet will be in charge of the team. The move aims to ensure all films, either produced by domestic companies or foreigners, are in line with Vietnamese laws on national sovereignty and national defense.
A scene that covers China's illegal nine-dash line map in its series Love’s Ambition (Hay De Toi Toa Sang in Vietnamese).
The drama, starring Zhao Lusi and William Chan, had attracted a large number of Vietnamese audience as it was streamed simultaneously with its release in China. On October 2, local viewers discovered that episode 16 contained a scene showing the so-called “nine-dash line”, which violates Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea).
China’s nine-dash line is a U-shaped boundary claiming about 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping the waters of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled the claim invalid under international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Nevertheless, China has maintained its claim, fueling regional tensions.
Right after the incident, public backlash was swift in Vietnam. On October 3, four major Vietnamese streaming platforms, including FPT Play, VieON, K+ and TV360 removed the series entirely from their systems.
FPT Play announced that it has permanently deleted all related content, stressing: “We uphold the principle of compliance with Vietnamese laws and the respect for national sovereignty. All content is carefully reviewed to ensure safe and lawful entertainment experience for audiences.”
Other streaming platforms on the internet, whether licensed or not, have also removed the film and its relevant contents from their display.
At the same time, fan communities dedicated to Chinese dramas in Vietnam declared a boycott of the series, refusing to share and promote any content associated with Love’s Ambition.
In the wake of the controversy, the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested relevant parties to take action in line with Vietnamese laws.
The department requested written explanations from all involved companies regarding the release and distribution of the film in Vietnam as soon as the issue was detected, the department’s Director Dang Tran Cuong told the press.
“After receiving full reports, the department will review and strictly handle the matter in accordance with Vietnamese law,” Cuong stated.
On October 3, the four Vietnamese companies involved in the film’s distribution submitted official reports and explanations, confirming that the film was no longer available on any platform in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Film Department subsequently issued an official notice suspending two Chinese companies, namely Tencent Holdings Limited and Image Future Investment (HK) Limited, from operating film distribution services in Vietnam.
To resume operations, the two companies must apply for certification as eligible online distributors or obtain film classification licenses in compliance with Vietnamese regulations.
The department also required both firms to report details about their organizational structure, operational models, legal relationships and plans for licensing in Vietnam.
Tencent Holdings and Image Future Investment (HK) on October 6 filed their reports to the Vietnam Cinema Department, explaining that they were not headquartered in Vietnam and their operations were being halted during a week-long break.
“Adherence to Vietnamese law is a fundamental requirement to ensure a healthy film environment and safeguard national sovereignty against any misleading content,” the department stressed.
FPT Play, one of the domestic leading film distributors, removes the Chinese series from its platform.
Reminder for online content regulation
The department’s Deputy Director Viet reiterated that the online dissemination of films in Vietnam must be licensed and supervised by competent state authorities. Companies are required to report and coordinate promptly when violations occur.
He affirmed that it will continue monitoring and strictly handling violations, urging all film distributors to strengthen content review, particularly for imported or foreign-produced titles.
“Complying with Vietnamese law is a prerequisite to ensuring a healthy and lawful film distribution environment while safeguarding national sovereignty against distorted or violating content,” Viet said.
Vietnam has previously removed several Chinese series containing “nine-dash line” imagery, including Flight to You and Forever Love.
The Love’s Ambition case reaffirms that in today’s digital era, respecting Vietnamese law and national sovereignty is both a legal duty and a moral responsibility for all participants in the film industry.
